A Snapdrop alternative — still just a web page, still nothing to install
Peer-to-peer · sha-256 on every file · no signup on either side
The original Snapdrop repository carries a pinned notice stating that snapdrop.net was sold, no longer works the way it should, and is no longer private or local-network, pointing readers to PairDrop, which was forked from the old code. Around the same time a popular Android client removed its support for snapdrop.net for the same reason. These are publicly available statements, not outside speculation.
SourceDrop your files here to start right now Start transferring now
For an everyday user the practical consequence is one sentence: the premise that files never leave your local network no longer holds. If that premise is exactly why you picked it, it's worth moving to something that still keeps it.
Here, files go over a direct channel between the two devices by default, and the server only helps the two sides exchange connection details once. The top of the page shows, live, whether the current link really is direct — that indicator reads the browser's actual connection state, it isn't a hard-coded sentence. On the rare networks that block direct links we ask whether to switch to a relay, and label it as relayed; we don't pretend it's still direct.
Side by side
| What | Snapdrop | TutuDrive Send |
|---|---|---|
| Anything to install | Nothing to install — it's a web page | Nothing to install — it runs in the browser |
| Where the bytes go | Its own pinned notice says that after the domain changed hands it now relays through the cloud | Peer to peer. If a direct link can't be made we switch to a relay and label it as relayed — we don't pretend it's still direct. |
| Across different networks | As originally designed, both sides need to be on the same network | Yes — the two sides don't have to be on the same network |
| Integrity check | Not documented publicly | Every file gets a sha-256 comparison when it lands; one byte off and it fails loudly |
| Is a copy left behind | Since it now relays through the cloud, whether a copy is kept isn't documented | On a direct connection nothing is left — the bytes never reach us. On a relay the copy is deleted the moment the other side picks it up, with a 24-hour sweep as a backstop. |
| Open source and self-hosting | The original project is open source; the PairDrop fork can be self-hosted | Not open source, no self-hosting — this one we don't have |
When you should pick it instead
- If what you want is the project itself: the code is still open source, the PairDrop fork is actively maintained, and you can deploy your own copy. If full control of the server side matters to you, that route fits better than using us.
- If it's only ever your own two devices at home and you don't mind installing once on each, a local-network tool such as LocalSend is usually faster, because it never leaves the LAN.
How it works here
- 1
Drop your files in, or click Choose files. A whole folder works too.
- 2
A QR code and six digits appear. The other person scans, types the digits, or opens the link you send.
- 3
Once connected the transfer starts. Neither side signs up, and nothing gets installed.
Common questions
Does Snapdrop still work?
The domain is still there and the page still opens, but what sits behind it is no longer the original project — that is what the original project says in its own pinned notice. So «does it load» and «is it still the thing you used to use» are two different questions: yes to the first, and by its own account no to the second. If what mattered to you was files never leaving the local network, you'll want a different option.
Will my files pass through someone else's server?
On this site: not by default. Files travel over a direct channel between the two devices, and our server only helps exchange connection details once. A few networks really do block direct links; then we ask whether you want a relay — a choice you click yourself, labelled «relayed» on screen. The relayed copy is deleted the moment the other side picks it up, with a 24-hour sweep as a backstop.
How are Snapdrop and PairDrop related?
PairDrop is a fork of Snapdrop's code that is still actively maintained, and it adds something the original didn't have: pairing across different networks, not just within one local network. The pinned notice in the original Snapdrop repository points to it directly.
Is there an alternative with nothing to install?
Yes — this page is one. Open it, drop your files in, and a QR code plus six digits appear; the other person scans or types them and starts receiving. Neither side signs up or installs anything. PairDrop is likewise a plain web page with nothing to install. The ones that need installing are local-network tools like LocalSend.